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Nice outline of some of the deeper elements. For me the key phrase is "expecting magic to ignite again." That's related to my beef...trying to copy the magic of other films. True "movie magic" is rarely contrive...it just happens, when you focus on making a good, and generally original, story...

Yeah, I understand the economic realities of it...doesn't mean I have to like it, though ;) But I do think movies are art - or on the "artistic scale." Like other media, it runs the gamut from highly commercial (the Hollywood "product" that you say) to very artistic, even spiritual/mystical. My...

Hollywood has a creativity problem, and one that is, I don't think it is too crazy to think, largely based on the financial bottom line. Regardless of whether or not this is a good thing or not, it is the reality of big business and, like all businesses, the goal is (always) making money, and...

Tolkien wrote the LotR in a somewhat archaic style, deliberately I think. Thus, "said Aragorn" rather than "Aragorn said." I think this was due to his love of Medieval epic romances and poetry. He wanted it to feel archaic. As for whether the books or movies are "better," it is a somewhat...

Just a comment on this. First of all, I don't think JRRT would be as much "bemused" by Rings of Power, as aghast, and disavow the show thoroughly. But more to my point, this notion that the books you mention would cause "at least as much confusion and alarm." Tolkien is dead and gone, but I...

This is only a fool's errand if you buy the notion of "absolute canon." Again, it isn't a matter of canon, but Tolkien vs. non-Tolkien. There's still a meaningful distinction to be made between what was created by Tolkien, who knew his world in a way that no other could, and what was...

I agree that the whole notion of "canon" is faulty, but will take it a step further: It makes no sense for a world created by a single author. The whole purpose of assigning a "canon" is to have an agreed upon body of lore and stories for a shared universe - that is, a world with no single...

I don't know if I'm impressed or depressed that you know 26 Weird Al Yankovic songs well enough to rank. But either way, as always, I'm glad you did.

Netflix is a solid A-, which makes it the best overall streaming service. I've been deep-diving into European dramas, thrillers, and Nordic Noir, which has been a lot of fun. Not an A because the content quality is uneven, and there's so much filler. HBOMax is a B, but falling fast. It used to...

This is key. I do a lot of world building beyond what the PCs will every encounter because A) I love world-building, and B) because a deeper setting usually facilitates a better campaign and more immersion (i.e. it avoids the feeling of "cardboard town buildings" ala old Westerns). But...even...

Thanks, and yes, agreed, which leads me to.... Thanks. It really sounds like he kind of blew it, and I'm guessing that he regrets his choice, though probably would never admit as much publicly. This can work both ways. I believe that Jordan, for instance, was pushed by his publisher to extend...

The first will actually be Real Housewives of Lannisport. Although an HBO whistleblower claims that they're also considering Real Housewives of the Dornish Shore because of a more attractive cast. I only read the first book, but I'm a bit confused by this. Is there a big timeline gap? I found...

If it took 11 years to get to 75%, that means WoW will be 100% in 3-4 more years, or roughly 2026, plus or minus a bit. Even assuming that GRRM is one of those rare writers who requires very little editing or polishing (meaning, his "manuscript" is close to a final draft), we'd still need to add...

Replace "Rivendell" with "Riverdale" and you get closer to the emotional maturity level of the Rings of Power characters.

Yes, to both of these. The kind of "forced profundity and drama" is a major criticism I have with the series. So often the viewer is told that this is a profound or dramatic moment, you should be feeling something right now...without much to back it up. Perhaps the most egregious example being...

Yes, and as I said above, I agree that there is a case for "objective aesthetics," or rather varying depths of subjectivity...because subjects, by their very nature, cannot be truly objective, but their subjective view can be more or less sophisticated or developed (e.g. the taste palate of a...

Well I would tend to agree with this--in that my aesthetic observations are the same as yours, and find it strange that some think the opposite. But some do, so.... No, not at all, afaict. It is generally agreed that GoT plummeted in quality after season 6 and especially with season 8, though...

Yup. I was almost going to mention this. Most of my very favorite films usually aren't on the "greatest films" lists that are usually bandied about - and I recognize that, in terms of what is generally considered good film-making among film-makers and aficionados, aren't necessarily on the same...